Lake Burton Fishing Report January 2018

Burton: Level: 6 feet low. Temp: 49 degrees. Clarity: Stained.

Bass: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The bass bite has been decent the last few weeks. We have not been catching many numbers but have been catching some quality fish. We have been starting the mornings off fishing shallow around the creek ledges. These spots have been producing some nice largemouth and some 5-lb. spots. We have been throwing 6- to 8-inch hard swimbaits. The color hasn’t seemed to make much difference. We have also caught some nice bass on white Super Rooster Tails while trying to catch brown trout. Working the spinners with a reel-and-pause technique has been productive. The water temps should drop quick over the next few weeks. The spoon bite should pick up in the mouths of the creeks and on 30-foot bottoms on the main-lake points.”

Brown Trout & Walleye: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The trout bite has finally rebounded. These fish are midway back in the creeks on an 18- to 25-foot bottom. We have had good success trolling No. 3 and No. 4 Loco Spoons at a speed of 3.5 mph. Slow trolling nightcrawlers on a crawler harness is a very effective way of catching these trout this time of year. This technique also doubles as a great way to catch a walleye. I typically troll the crawler harnesses on the downriggers set at a depth of 10 to 18 feet. Trolling at speeds between 1.5 to 2.4 mph works best. Maintaining speed this slow this time of year can be difficult. Try using the wind to your advantage. These techniques should continue to catch trout and walleye for the next few weeks.”